Musculoskeletal Practice (First Contact Practice) (PG Cert)

Entry requirements

Standard Entry Requirements:

• Normally a First or Second Class Honours Degree in a relevant healthcare profession such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, medicine, osteopathy.
• Students whose first language is not English are normally required to have an IELTS 7 or other equivalent recognised English language qualification. In certain circumstances the University also permits study that students have already carried out at Postgraduate level to be taken into account.
• Interview may be required.

Additional Entry Requirements for students building towards an MSc Advanced Musculoskeletal Practice:

• Applicants should be at least 3 years qualified as a healthcare professional.
• Applicants should be working in a musculoskeletal setting with a suitable clinical mentor in practice.
• Applicants should hold an active registration with the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) and CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy) or equivalent professional registration.

Entry Requirements for the Mentorship in Musculoskeletal Clinical Practice module:

• Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate.
• Students should have completed the Advancing Skills in MSK Practice module and either The Spine and Upper Limb module or The Spine and Lower Limb module before enrolling on this module.***
• For FCP sign off this module must be undertaken partly in primary care with a suitable clinical mentor in practice.

***It may be possible to consider relevant clinical experience or transfer of credits from other, previously completed modules. This will be reviewed by the University on a case by case basis.

Months of entry

February, April, October

Course content

This programme has been designed with partners in clinical practice to further develop healthcare professional's expert Musculoskeletal (MSK) knowledge and skills.

Students will learn to improve the translation of evidence into practice, promote critical thinking and advanced clinical reasoning whilst adapting to different environments and considering the needs of diverse populations and communities. Students will develop specialist skills to enable them to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care to people presenting with complex MSK conditions.

In addition, students will develop knowledge and skills in education, leadership and research and consider application in a clinical and organisational context.

This First Contact Practitioner course is recognised by The Centre for Advancing Practice as meeting the FCP Roadmap Stage 1 and 2 requirements and evidence of successful completion meets current requirements for First Contact Practice.

Learning Expectations

• Demonstrate critical understanding of the impact of inclusive, person-centred MSK care to meet the changing health and social care needs of diverse, multicultural populations.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills underpinning evidence-based MSK practice, including differential diagnosis, interpretation of diagnostic data and contemporary management strategies.
• Ability to work independently in a changing MSK environment within multi-professional teams and safely manage situations with high levels of complexity, risk and uncertainty within the applicable scope of practice.
• Critically apply the principles of preventative approaches, such as lifestyle factors, health promotion and behaviour change, to improve MSK-related health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.